Committee Meeting
The AGM, Followed by “Spitfires” video
Mike Lee: “An Analemmatic Sundial and Moondial Calendar: The Ultimate Time Machine”
Be prepared to be transported….Dress code: G suits.
Clive Grisdale: “Hand Guns”
By popular request, Clive has been persuaded to visit us again, to give us “Chapter 3” of the Gunsmithing story, he has visited us twice before, and on both occasions we have been bowled over by the fabulous collection of demonstration pieces that he has brought along. We don’t quite know how he manages to evade the Boys in Blue when he travels to our meeting…
(“Good evening Sir can you please step out of your car with your hands up and explain to us the purpose of these items that you are transporting, and may we also ask you to provide the names and addresses of those to whom you may be delivering them …. “).
Mike Orman: “Welworthy and Howlett, Piston Ring Manufacturers”
This should dispel the long-held mystery of exactly what Mike does in his day job; The Welworthy company is a long established strategic manufacturing company with a fascinating history, closely linked to the highest performance internal combustion engines.Without the very best piston rings, would we have won the Battle of Britain?
Salisbury M.E.S. Expo 2018
OUR OWN DAY TO GET TOGETHER AND DISPLAY OUR MODEL ENGINEERING PROJECTS AT OUR USUAL MEETING PLACE. Following the great success of this event last year, please bring along your projects, past, present (and future even! “Partly built” stuff is most welcome) and bench work demonstrations are encouraged, providing they are practical for the hall (no steam hammers to be brought into the hall please). With a large car park, full sized projects of cars and motorcycles etc can be accommodated. Most importantly, please bring yourselves, whether or not you are bringing any of your work. Our idea is that it is for us and we are not opening it to the general public (if for no other reason than health and safety), but friends are completely welcome. Further information, if required, from Mike Lee on 01980 623238.
Society stand at the Countryside Museum working weekend at Breamore House Nr Fordingbridge (subject to us having enough volunteers to man the stand).
Richard Ellam: “The Davy Lamp”
Richard has spoken to us before, about “Brunell’s Bloomers” which was an outstanding talk, and he has kindly agreed to visit us again. Davy’s safety lamp, and a few competing inventions were as important for the safety of miners, as the Plimsoll line was for the safety of sailors. Richard comes from Bristol, and you might ask what does a Bristolian know about coal mining and coal miners? Ah, well, Bristol, Gloucestershire, and Somerset all had thriving coal mining communities, so there.
Durrington Festival: Society stand
(subject to us having enough volunteers to man the stand).
Mike Lee: “The development of steam engines up to the Newcomen Atmospheric Steam Engine of 1712”
Mike has been delving into steam history and has found some interesting facts relating to the period before it “really began to happen” with Newcomen’s ground breaking invention.
A visit to Bristol.
Our member, Des Adely, has been talking to his friends at the Bristol Technology Museum, and is planning the details of this day. Not only is there the excellent Technology Museum, with its associated underground dock-works that we will be given special access to, but there is Brunel’s SS Great Britain (not one of his Bloomers), which we might be able to fit in to our programme, PLUS, Bristol is a spankingly interesting city to visit, and Des’s friends have identified a sympathetic café where we will be made welcome in which to relax when your tour-weary trotters are beginning to complain. Be prepared for a very interesting outing.
Committee Meeting
Natter Night.
Bring your bits and pieces along.
Bristol Model Engineering Exhibition.
After our successful stand at this exhibition in 2017, we may have a stand again this year. Details will be discussed at our January committee meeting and information will be available in the Spring.
Jon Maxwell: "Telescopes"
Jon will be talking about some controversial historical twists in the development of telescopes, in particular refracting telescopes, that is, telescopes that use lenses rather than mirrors. The reign of professional refracting telescopes lasted from 1609 (the "accepted" date for the invention of refracting telescopes) through to the first two decades of the 20th Century, that is, more or less 300 years. If glass technology could have reached larger diameters, and could have deployed cleverer chemical compositions, we might still be using refracting telescopes for cutting-edge astronomy, but conventional telescopes used for professional astronomy these days are almost exclusively of the reflecting type, though many refracting telescopes are still used by amateur astronomers and for minor professional astronomical research and public education.
Keith Shephard: “The history of a critical 40 year period for the Engine Makers of Wessex”
Keith is an active member of our sister (brother?) model engineering society in Westbury, 82D; he works with foundries in Poland, and here in the UK; so he really knows his stuff. Following Mike Lee’s talk in June, Keith’s talk will reveal the background to a different aspect of steam development.
Natter Night
Again, bring your bits and bobs along to stimulate discussion.
Christmas Party
The AGM